High-Protein Peanut Butter Ricotta Ice Cream | No-Churn, Rum Raisin

This High-Protein Peanut Butter Ricotta Ice Cream is a creamy, no-churn dessert with rich peanut butter flavour, soft rum raisin sweetness, and a beautifully scoopable texture, all made without heavy cream or an ice cream machine. It tastes cold, creamy, and indulgent, but it is made in a lighter, more nourishing way with ricotta, homemade roasted peanut butter, banana, honey, and simple real ingredients.

Instead of making cottage cheese ice cream, this version uses ricotta for a smoother, creamier texture and a more delicate flavour. The ricotta blends into a thick, velvety base and naturally adds protein, while the peanut butter gives every scoop that deep roasted, nutty richness. I love using my homemade roasted peanut butter here because it gives the ice cream a fuller peanut flavour and a beautiful creamy finish, but any good-quality smooth natural peanut butter will work beautifully.

The texture is thick, creamy, and satisfying, with golden peanut butter ribbons running through each scoop and little chewy bites of rum-soaked raisins that make it feel extra special. The banana and honey naturally sweeten the base without refined sugar, while the rum brings a warm, nostalgic flavour that pairs so beautifully with peanut butter and ricotta.

What makes this no-churn ricotta ice cream so lovely is how simple it is to make. You only need a few minutes of hands-on prep, then the freezer does the rest. There is no cream, no refined sugar, and no ice cream machine needed, but the result still tastes rich, smooth, sweet, and deeply satisfying.

The creamy ricotta base also helps the ice cream hold its shape nicely when scooped and served. Like any homemade ice cream, it softens at room temperature, but it does not turn watery too quickly, which makes it lovely for serving in bowls, cones, or pretty dessert glasses.

This healthy peanut butter ricotta ice cream is perfect as a summer dessert, a post-dinner treat, or a make-ahead freezer dessert when you want something cold, creamy, and homemade. Every bite is nutty, softly sweet, lightly boozy from the rum raisins, and full of that comforting peanut butter ice cream flavour. It is the kind of simple freezer treat you will love having ready for whenever you want something refreshing, creamy, and truly satisfying.

Ingredients Needed 

Ricotta Cheese: This is the creamy base of the ice cream. It blends into a smooth, velvety texture and naturally adds protein, making this no-churn ice cream feel rich and satisfying without using heavy cream.

Smooth Peanut Butter: Peanut butter gives the ice cream its deep, nutty flavour and beautiful richness. I love using my homemade roasted peanut butter because it is smooth, creamy, naturally rich, and made with just roasted peanuts. You can use a good-quality natural peanut butter, or make your own here: Easy Homemade Roasted Peanut Butter.

Banana: Banana helps make the base naturally creamy while adding gentle sweetness. It also helps the ice cream feel softer and more scoopable once frozen.

Honey: Honey naturally sweetens the ice cream and adds a soft, golden flavour that works beautifully with peanut butter, ricotta, and rum-soaked raisins. For a keto option, you can replace it with monk fruit syrup or sugar-free maple syrup.

Rum: Rum is used to soak the raisins and gives this healthy ricotta ice cream a warm, nostalgic flavour. It adds depth without overpowering the peanut butter or creamy ricotta base.

Raisins: Once soaked in rum, the raisins become soft, sweet, and chewy. They add little bursts of natural sweetness through every scoop and give the ice cream its beautiful rum raisin flavour.

Vanilla Extract: Vanilla rounds out the flavour with soft sweetness and warmth. It brings the peanut butter, ricotta, banana, honey, and rum raisin together into one smooth, creamy dessert.

How to Adapt This High-Protein Ice Cream to Your Diet

Naturally Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free because it does not use flour, biscuits, or gluten-based ingredients. Just check that your peanut butter, rum, and vanilla extract are gluten-free if needed.

Refined Sugar-Free: This ice cream is sweetened with banana, honey, and raisins instead of refined white sugar. Use pure honey and natural peanut butter with no added sugar.

Naturally Sweetened: Banana, honey, and rum-soaked raisins add natural sweetness, so the ice cream still tastes creamy, sweet, and satisfying without refined sugar.

High-Protein: Ricotta gives this ice cream a natural protein boost while creating a smooth, creamy texture.

Vegetarian-Friendly: This recipe is vegetarian-friendly because it is made with ricotta, peanut butter, banana, honey, raisins, rum, and vanilla.

Why Ricotta Works So Well in This Ice Cream

Ricotta is what gives this High-Protein Peanut Butter Ricotta Ice Cream its thick, creamy, and velvety texture without needing heavy cream. It blends beautifully with peanut butter, banana, honey, and vanilla, creating a smooth no-churn ice cream base that feels rich and satisfying while still tasting light and fresh.

Ricotta also adds a natural boost of protein and calcium, which makes this dessert feel a little more nourishing than regular ice cream. Its mild flavour is perfect here because it does not overpower the peanut butter or the rum-soaked raisins. Instead, it gives the ice cream a soft creamy body, a delicate dairy richness, and a beautifully scoopable texture.

Ricotta Peanut Butter Ice Cream | No-Churn, Refined Sugar-Free

Annie, Healthy Food by Annie

This creamy no-churn peanut butter ricotta ice cream is rich, scoopable, and naturally sweetened with banana, honey, and rum-soaked raisins. Made without heavy cream or an ice cream machine, it has a smooth ricotta base, deep roasted peanut butter flavour, and little chewy raisin bites in every spoonful. A high-protein, refined sugar-free frozen dessert that feels comforting, nostalgic, and beautifully satisfying.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Freeze Time: 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Healthy Snacks & Treats

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free Option, Refined Sugar Free

Servings 8 Medium Scoops

Calories 210 kcal

Ingredients

  

Main Mixture

• 1⅔ cup (400 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3 tbsp natural smooth peanut butter
• ½ banana
• 30 ml (1 shot) dark or golden rum
• ⅓ cup (50g) raisins
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Pinch of salt

Peanut Butter Swirl

• 3 tbsp tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 2 tbsp tablespoon honey

Instructions

 

• Prepare the Rum-Soaked Raisins

  Place the raisins in a small bowl and pour over the rum. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until warm and slightly plumped. Let them cool for 5 minutes, then drain and reserve any remaining rum.
• Prepare the Peanut Butter Swirl

  In a separate small bowl, mix the smooth peanut butter and honey until silky and combined. Set aside.
• Blend the Ice Cream Base

  In a food processor, add the ricotta cheese, peanut butter, banana, vanilla extract, honey, reserved rum, and salt. Blend until smooth, creamy, and velvety.
• Fold in the Raisins

  Gently fold the cooled rum-soaked raisins into the ricotta peanut butter ice cream base.
• Add to the Container with Swirl

  Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container. Drizzle half of the peanut butter swirl over the top and gently swirl it through with a spoon.
• First Freeze Cycle

  Freeze for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove from the freezer, stir gently, then swirl in the remaining peanut butter mixture.
• Final Freeze Cycle

  Return to the freezer for another 2 hours, or until fully set and scoopable.
• Serve and Enjoy

  Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes if it has frozen firmly, then scoop into bowls, cones, or dessert glasses. Enjoy creamy homemade ricotta ice cream with rich peanut butter flavour and soft rum raisin bites.
• Serving Tip

  If frozen for longer, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping for the best texture.

Notes

Notes

For the best flavour, use natural smooth peanut butter made from 100% peanuts. I used my homemade roasted peanut butter, which gives the ice cream a deeper roasted flavour and a beautifully creamy texture.

If the ice cream freezes very firm, let it soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.

Because this recipe uses rum that is not cooked off, a small amount of alcohol remains in the finished ice cream. For an alcohol-free version, soak the raisins in warm water or warm orange juice instead.

 

 

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Nutrition per serving: 1 of 8 servings, Calories: 210 kcal, Protein: 9.4  g, Carbohydrate: 16 g, Net Carb: 15 g, Sugars:12 g, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sodium: 90 mg, Calcium: 170 mg

Note:  Made with 100% natural homemade peanut butter, no added sugar

 

Nutrition Facts Notes:

✔️ Higher in protein: Whole-milk ricotta and natural peanut butter provide protein, making this no-churn ice cream more satisfying than many traditional frozen desserts.

✔️ Good source of calcium: Ricotta cheese contributes calcium, which supports healthy bones and teeth, normal muscle function and nerve signalling.

✔️ Made with 100% natural peanut butter: The homemade peanut butter contains just one ingredient—roasted peanuts—with no added sugar, added oils, salt or preservatives.

✔️ Naturally sweetened: Banana, raisins and honey provide sweetness without refined white sugar. However, they still contribute naturally occurring and added sugars, so portion size remains important.

✔️ No-churn and easy to make: This recipe requires no ice cream machine—simply blend, swirl and freeze.

✔️ Contains healthy unsaturated fats: Peanuts provide mostly unsaturated fats, while ricotta adds creaminess and richness.

✔️ Naturally gluten free: The core ingredients are naturally gluten free. Check the labels of vanilla extract and any packaged ingredients if certified gluten-free products are required.

✔️ Classic rum-raisin flavour: Raisins and rum create a rich, fruity flavour. Because the rum is not cooked, some alcohol remains in the finished ice cream.

✔️ Not suitable for children or alcohol-free diets: This dessert contains uncooked rum. For an alcohol-free version, omit the rum and add a little extra vanilla or rum-flavoured essence.

✔️ Energy-dense dessert: Although higher in protein and calcium than many standard ice creams, it is still rich in calories due to the ricotta, peanut butter, honey and raisins.

✔️ Best enjoyed as a measured portion: One medium scoop, or 1 of 8 servings, gives a satisfying dessert portion while helping keep calories and sugars moderate.

✔️ Storage tip: Let the ice cream soften at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before scooping, as homemade no-churn ice cream can freeze more firmly than commercial ice cream.

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Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutrition values are estimates and may vary depending on the brands of ricotta, honey and raisins used, the size of the banana, the exact amount of peanut butter, and the final scoop size.

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